Between Religion and Politics: The Message of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops from 1965 and Its Contribution to Polish-German Reconciliation
Between Religion and Politics: The Message of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops from 1965 and Its Contribution to Polish-German Reconciliation

Summary/Abstract: While the history of Polish-German relations is one filled with the most tragic examples of what constitutes a “difficult neighborhood”, from a European and global perspective it can also be viewed as a testament to one of the most effective and most extraordinary processes of reconciliation in modern history. The initiatives coming from the societies in both countries to organize “start talking to the enemy” talks are the most important and interesting aspect of the Polish-German reconciliation. Specifically, the initiatives coming from the religious and faith-based actors should be considered as those which initiated and moved forward the whole process that was later developed by the politicians and state officials, where it would take the form of the Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik. The purpose of this article is to present one of the crucial initiatives that paved the way for later political developments in the bilateral relations between Poland and Germany namely, the Message of the Polish Bishops addressed to the German Bishops from November 18, 1965. The article will discuss the historical, political, and social context of the Message as well as the significance of this document with respect to the later improvement of Polish-German relations.

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